Non-Drug Pain Management

Non-drug pain management encompasses a broad range of evidence-based therapies designed to reduce pain and improve function without relying on pharmaceutical interventions — including physical therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, acupuncture, neuromodulation, chiropractic care, mindfulness-based stress reduction, and interventional procedures such as nerve blocks. Its growing importance is underscored by the scale of chronic pain in the U.S.: by 2023, 24.3% of Americans — approximately 60 million people — were living with chronic pain, up sharply from 20.5% in 2019, with 21 million experiencing high-impact pain that limits daily life and work. The economic burden of chronic pain and opioid use disorders exceeds $500 billion annually, surpassing the combined costs of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Among adults with high-impact chronic pain, nearly 70% report using at least one non-pharmacologic intervention, with physical, rehabilitative, or occupational therapy being the most commonly used. Demand for non-drug approaches has intensified amid the opioid crisis, and the FDA issued new guidance in September 2025 specifically aimed at expanding non-opioid options for chronic pain. Emerging technologies including neuromodulation devices, digital therapeutics, and pain psychology programs are expanding the toolkit available to patients and clinicians.